Gaze adjusted avatars for immersive reality applications

Abstract

A method for updating a gaze direction for a transmitter avatar in a receiver headset is provided. The method includes verifying, in a receiver device, that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is active in a transmitter device, and adjusting, in the receiver device, a gaze direction of the transmitter avatar to a fixation point. Adjusting the gaze direction of the transmitter avatar comprises estimating a coordinate of the fixation point in a receiver frame at a later time, and rotating, in the receiver device, two eyeballs of the transmitter avatar to a point in a direction of the fixation point. A headset, a memory in the headset storing instructions, and a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform the above method, are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 verifying, in a receiver device, that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is active in a transmitter device; and 
 adjusting, in the receiver device, a gaze direction of the transmitter avatar to a fixation point, wherein: 
 adjusting the gaze direction of the transmitter avatar comprises estimating a coordinate of the fixation point in a receiver frame at a later time, and rotating, in the receiver device, two eyeballs of the transmitter avatar to a point in a direction of the fixation point; and 
 adjusting the gaze direction of the transmitter avatar before receiving rendition information for the transmitter avatar from the transmitter device. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place comprises identifying a conversation between the transmitter avatar and a receiver avatar. 
     
     
       3. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place comprises querying the transmitter device for a visual tracking signal. 
     
     
       4. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place comprises verifying that a value of a function of a virtual distance between the transmitter avatar and a receiver avatar is greater than a pre-selected threshold. 
     
     
       5. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein verifying that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place comprises verifying that a value of a function of an angular difference between the gaze direction of the transmitter avatar and the fixation point is greater than a pre-selected threshold. 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting for the later time a period of time shorter than a network delay for a signal to travel between the transmitter device and the receiver device. 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual tracking of the transmitter avatar is a gaze lock between the transmitter avatar and a receiver avatar, and estimating the coordinate of the fixation point comprises estimating a relative position between the transmitter avatar and the receiver avatar at the later time. 
     
     
       8. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising updating the gaze direction at the later time to a new gaze direction received from the transmitter device when a distance between the gaze direction and the new gaze direction is greater than a pre-selected threshold. 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a head direction of the transmitter avatar based on the fixation point at the later time. 
     
     
       10. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising updating a world state at the later time based on a dynamic condition of the world state at a current time. 
     
     
       11. A system, comprising:
 a memory storing multiple instructions; and 
 one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to: 
 verify that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is active; and 
 adjust, in a receiver device, a gaze direction of the transmitter avatar to a fixation point, wherein to adjust the gaze direction of the transmitter avatar the one or more processors execute instructions to estimate a coordinate of the fixation point in a receiver frame at a later time, and rotate, in the receiver device, two gaze directions from a transmitter device to track the fixation point, and the gaze direction of the transmitter avatar is adjusted before receiving rendition information for the transmitter avatar from the transmitter device. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein to verify that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place the one or more processors execute instructions to identify a conversation between the transmitter avatar and a receiver avatar. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein to verify that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place the one or more processors execute instructions to query the transmitter device for a visual tracking signal. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein to verify that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place the one or more processors execute instructions to verify that a value of a function of a virtual distance between the transmitter avatar and a receiver avatar is greater than a pre-selected threshold. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein to verify that a visual tracking of a transmitter avatar is currently in place the one or more processors execute instructions to verify that a value of a function of an angular difference between the gaze direction of the transmitter avatar and the fixation point is greater than a pre-selected threshold. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors further execute instructions to select for the later time a period of time shorter than a network delay for a signal to travel between the transmitter device and the receiver device. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors execute instructions to visually track the transmitter avatar with a gaze lock between the transmitter avatar and a receiver avatar, and to estimate the coordinate of the fixation point the one or more processors execute instructions to estimate a relative position between the transmitter avatar and the receiver avatar at the later time. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors execute instructions to update the gaze direction at the later time to a new gaze direction received from the transmitter device when a distance between the gaze direction and the new gaze direction is greater than a pre-selected threshold. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors further execute instructions to adjust a head direction of the transmitter avatar based on the fixation point at the later time. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors further execute instructions to update a world state at the later time based on a dynamic condition of the world state at a current time.